[skempster]

I keep suffering an intermittent fault with the Sky+ system which we had installed 2 months ago. It seemed to work ok for the first month and then every so often we get "failed recording". Sometimes the reason given is "no signal", othertimes it says reason "unknown".

We had a Sky engineer out last weekend who simply replaced our Sky+ box (he gave us one with a viewing card slot on the left, whereas the previous viewing card slot was on the right), and did not check anything else at all.

This week, we are getting more failed recordings (no reasons given). We were actually watching one of the programs that it was supposed to record (so I presume it wasn't a signal issue) and we even used instant rewind at one point, but we noticed at the time that the recording light wasn't on and then the listing in the planner says it failed.

Can it be that we have yet another faulty box or is it likely to be a fault with the cables/dish? We tend to get good signal strength and quality - about 70/80%.

Most of our failed recordings are programs that we have series linked. Could this be causing a problem?

Is it a good idea to switch instant rewind feature off to avoid glitches like this?

We have an engineer coming out this weekend again - but would appreciate some expert comments from the forum before we let them loose....again....

Thanks in advance.

[davep]

I too have had failed recordings. Mine gave the same reason as you. It was nothing to do with the bad weather we've had recently. One of them was 6 feet under which really upset my missus.

This has only started to happen since the recent update. The annoying thing is you don't seem to be able to do anything to get around it. There's no telling when it will happen again.

I doubt it's a hardware fault, more likely a new bug introduced by the latest release.

Dave

[Roger G Cam]

If its definitely not your dish and LNB - then a full reset could cure it.

The last download killed my V1 two and half year old box. I was given a new box which was fine. Then we had heavy rain and I lost input 2 so I did a reboot by switching it off at the mains. I don't think it liked that.

Cure - I did a full reset. Since then it has been okay.

To do a full reset try - go to services then do 4 - 0 - 1 - select

Warning: This will delete everything in your planner!

If you do the full reset and still get failed recordings then it ought to be either - the EPG data - which is the owining TV Company - or - your Dish and LNB.

Roger

[davep]

Thanks for the suggestions Roger, I shall be installing a 160Gb disk this weekend so I'll see how it goes after that.

Dave

[skempster]

Presumably if its a software problem rather than hardware then all we can do is wait for Sky to sort it out at their end?

Incidentally, I think it's great the way that Sky say that they do not give refunds for problems with the Sky+ recording service on the grounds that this service is actually provided for free, its the program channels that we pay for.

So what was that £200 outlay for the box actually for then....

[Donkey]

I too am getting failed recordings "unknown reason".

Last night was recording Edge of the City on channel 4 at 9pm. That recorded OK. Tried to dual record Bad Lads Army on ITV2, and that failed - unknown reason

Experimented today and dual recorded at 11am Quantum leap, and whatever was on BBC2 at the same time- both recorded OK.

Also set up a dual record for ITV1 and ITV2 at 12:30pm - both recordings failed.

It seems that it is the software - it's really starting to *iss me off now. And it was only 2 or 3 weeks ago that I did my first full system reset thinking it was all the bad weather causing the problems.

Sky+ Never miss your favourite programs again - What a joke, only it isn't funny

ps. My box is a V1 and have now had it almost 2 years. Have had more failed recordings in the last 3 weeks than the entire 22 months previous to that

[chris4817]

Originally Posted by Donkey

I too am getting failed recordings "unknown reason".

Last night was recording Edge of the City on channel 4 at 9pm. That recorded OK. Tried to dual record Bad Lads Army on ITV2, and that failed - unknown reason

Experimented today and dual recorded at 11am Quantum leap, and whatever was on BBC2 at the same time- both recorded OK.

Also set up a dual record for ITV1 and ITV2 at 12:30pm - both recordings failed.

It seems that it is the software - it's really starting to *iss me off now. And it was only 2 or 3 weeks ago that I did my first full system reset thinking it was all the bad weather causing the problems.

Sky+ Never miss your favourite programs again - What a joke, only it isn't funny

ps. My box is a V1 and have now had it almost 2 years. Have had more failed recordings in the last 3 weeks than the entire 22 months previous to that

Amazing. This almost mirrors the problems I have had. My box is the same age as yours and I have had more problems over the last three weeks. I have just upgraded my hard drive and thought that was the problem until I read of problems. I too dual recorded ITV1 Bad Lads Army last night, that recorded bit something else failed.

I did notice at the same time that I couldn't pause live TV and the EPG data had gone and didn't come back with a full reset.

It is also P**sing me off. I just wish they would leave it alone if they had a reasonably stable software version. My Dad has bought a new Thomson recorder and you can roll back to an earlier software version if the new one causes problems. Sky take note.

[apwood]

Last weekend I too had numerous failed recordings (while I was away) some series links, some not - mostly it said "unknown reason". I had previously installed a new 80Gb hard drive, and for some reason the box only recorded until it was just over 50% full, and then refused to record any more programs saying it was full - it even deleted some previously watched programs. So the reason for some of the failed recordings was that the disk was full, even though it wasn't. Then a few recordings failed because of a 'programme clash' - but in fact I checked, and there were no clashes (and no one was at home so the box was in standby, no clashes due to people watching Sky while recording).

All very strange. This was the first time the box had gone over 50%, although I'm sure many of the failed recordings happened while it was still less than 50%.

I did a planner rebuild, and so far it seems to have been OK since then.

This is a v2 box.

[F1F1]

Originally Posted by chris4817

Amazing. This almost mirrors the problems I have had. My box is the same age as yours and I have had more problems over the last three weeks. I have just upgraded my hard drive and thought that was the problem until I read of problems. I too dual recorded ITV1 Bad Lads Army last night, that recorded bit something else failed.

I did notice at the same time that I couldn't pause live TV and the EPG data had gone and didn't come back with a full reset.

It is also P**sing me off. I just wish they would leave it alone if they had a reasonably stable software version. My Dad has bought a new Thomson recorder and you can roll back to an earlier software version if the new one causes problems. Sky take note.

Similar to me. I had a V1 box around 18-20 mths old with problems only ocurring in the last few months. Full reset worked first time, then nothing worked second time so recently the engineer fitted a reconditioned identical Pace V1 box. But failed recordings at times. Am still trying to suss out if there's a pattern or if it will come right of its own accord before complaining to Sky. I strongly suspect most <or all> of my problems have been after software upgrades.

[Roger G Cam]

Originally Posted by F1F1

Similar to me. I had a V1 box around 18-20 mths old with problems only ocurring in the last few months. Full reset worked first time, then nothing worked second time so recently the engineer fitted a reconditioned identical Pace V1 box. But failed recordings at times. Am still trying to suss out if there's a pattern or if it will come right of its own accord before complaining to Sky. I strongly suspect most <or all> of my problems have been after software upgrades.

Just a word of warning - I am sure you have this in your mind anyway, but.....your reconditioned box has a 3 month warranty on it. make sure you get Sky out before that expires. If you don't - they will hit you again.

Roger

[clivers]

i to have started to get a lot of recordings fail. mainly itv and granada plus seem to as well

[evanjohn00000]

Have you tried this?, I was having a lot of failed recordings but I think I've cured mine by doing a HARD RESET yesterday morning. I've been recording programmes for over 24 hrs now and no failures.

I found the hard reset method on this forum, I think it was:

Hold the left and right buttons on the front of the box whilst the mains is off and power it up, holding the buttons until you see the green circle light up, then press the select button on the box. This WILL delete all recorded programs.

[F1F1]

Originally Posted by Roger G Cam

Just a word of warning - I am sure you have this in your mind anyway, but.....your reconditioned box has a 3 month warranty on it. make sure you get Sky out before that expires. If you don't - they will hit you again.

Roger

Thanks Roger, yes will have to make sure that it's sorted before the warranty expires!

[stephen1980]

I have had quite a few "failed recordings" sometime it gives me a reason sometime it dont. I had aways thought it was down to a poor signal, but now I am not so sure.

[Donkey]

Originally Posted by stephen1980

I have had quite a few "failed recordings" sometime it gives me a reason sometime it dont. I had aways thought it was down to a poor signal, but now I am not so sure.

There's more to it now. As I stated on my posting above, I deliberately dual recorded programs - had an instance where one failed and the other didn't even though both were on exactly the same time

[simon olive]

I to have started to suffer from failed recordings with Unknown reason. They have all been on ITV1 or ITV2.

[evanjohn00000]

Has anyone tried the HARD RESET as mentioned above, yet?

It worked for me!

[si.stanhope]

i cant believe sky hasnt sorted this problem out yet,ive had failed recordings since the new software upgrade and have performed loads of resets,reboots,unplugging and even e-mailed and phoned sky+ technical help 3 times but they still say there is no problem with the software they downloaded. im using a sky+ v1 box and before the download was relatively problem free i could trust my box to record for me,but now i have failed recordings almost every day its so annoying as im out most of the time i like to catch up with all the programmes ive missed.the last couple of weeks ive missed, tru calling (twice),bad lads army (once),4 movies,the simpsons(five), west wing,the o.c and one tree hill and numerous other programs on other channels,my box has also started to be impossible to turn on via the remote when in standby i have to unplug 3 or 4 times just to get it working again and does anybody find that their box has failed recordings more if left on standby...

[Steviecox]

Same for me here guys on a new V2 box installed yesterday to replace my dead 2 year old V1 box.

Bad Lads Army on ITV2 Failed no reason given, BLA Prvates Exposed recorded and that was on straight after it !!!!! It was the last one as well and I lost Thursdays copy as my V1 Box died

Misses was also well upset she missed Where The Heart is as that also failed.

[Alberrisford]

My sky+ recordings kept on failing, and I called sky, they sent someone out who replaced the box. Apparently, the box we had, the (I forget the proper name) leads from the dish into the back or something like that were not soldered in properly, and they have been having a lot of problems with them. He replaced our box and we have been fine since.

[chris4817]

I have now found that the box will not dual record at all. Everytime I try to record two programmes one fails.

I am really pi**ed off with this now. I have done full resets and planner rebuilds but to no avail.

[IanDavid]

I too am suffering from numerous failed recordings but I notice that I have no signal on LNB2. Have you checked this? If this is the reason then dual recording, or for that matter recording while the box is in standby, won't work. To check select Services, then option 4 and then option 6. If you have no signal on LNB 2 then that's the reason for failed recordings. With no signal on LNB2 you cannot record whilst the box is in standby - the only way to record is to leave the box switched on to the channel you want to record. Dual record will also not work because only one signal is being received.

The quick way to 'switch on' LNB 2 is to record a channel for 2-3 mins with the box switched on. Stop the recording and then check Services again - this usually switches LNB2 back on again and all is temporarily OK. If this doesn't work first time keep trying - it does work in the end. I should know, I've had to do this at least once a day since the last software download!! However, this 'fix' only works for a few hours, maybe a day at most, and LNB2 then switches off . You then have to repeat the process again.

This has started since the download of 25/8/04 - I've called sky who say that there is no problem. However an e-mail to James Murdoch at james.murdoch@bskyb.com has produced a reply e-mail saying that this is being investigated. We'll wait and see.....

Anyway hope this helps solve the problem for now.

[chris4817]

Originally Posted by IanDavid

I too am suffering from numerous failed recordings but I notice that I have no signal on LNB2. Have you checked this? If this is the reason then dual recording, or for that matter recording while the box is in standby, won't work. To check select Services, then option 4 and then option 6. If you have no signal on LNB 2 then that's the reason for failed recordings. With no signal on LNB2 you cannot record whilst the box is in standby - the only way to record is to leave the box switched on to the channel you want to record. Dual record will also not work because only one signal is being received.

The quick way to 'switch on' LNB 2 is to record a channel for 2-3 mins with the box switched on. Stop the recording and then check Services again - this usually switches LNB2 back on again and all is temporarily OK. If this doesn't work first time keep trying - it does work in the end. I should know, I've had to do this at least once a day since the last software download!! However, this 'fix' only works for a few hours, maybe a day at most, and LNB2 then switches off . You then have to repeat the process again.

This has started since the download of 25/8/04 - I've called sky who say that there is no problem. However an e-mail to James Murdoch at james.murdoch@bskyb.com has produced a reply e-mail saying that this is being investigated. We'll wait and see.....

Anyway hope this helps solve the problem for now.

Thanks for your advice. It appears that my LNB's are working OK. However, when I do reset it does work, as you say, for just a few hours. As you say, we'll see if the email turns anything up.

[chris4817]

I have also emailed Mr Murdoch at Sky. Can I suggest we all do it if we are having problems or he'll no doubt dismiss it as a few people.

[phelings]

I suggest all you people contact Sky and get engineers out.My box,bought from Comet was replaced by Sky but they only gave a 3 month warranty.So I have paid again,but they will be back on Wednesday.You all need to shell out £65(if outside warranty),and ensure that Sky return EVERY SINGLE time you get a FAILED recording.This problem is NOT solved by reboots,planner rebuilds or even full system resets,although some of these measure seem to help for 3 or 4 days.The problem will not go away until Sky send a new download,but as they will not even admit there is a fault what chance is there?They are getting £65 off many people when the fault is caused by Sky's software!Surely Trading Standards need to get involved now.Who's to say that when Sky run short of money they will not deliberately mess up all the Sky+ boxes and know that may will fork out £65 to refill the Sky coffers.An extreme possibility I grant you,but not impossible unless something gets sorted out about this type of problem